1. (Unit-1) Research Formulation & Design.pdf

Research Methodology & IPR
MLC-MTSE201
IPS ACADEMY,
Institute of Engg. &
Sience, INDORE
UNIT – I
Research Formulation & Design
Lalitesh Sinha, Assistant Professor
Civil Engineering Department
IPS ACADEMY,
Institute of Engg. &
Science, INDORE

Topics Covered
1. Meaning of Research
2. Objectiveof Research
3. Motivation of Research
4. Types of Research
5. Research methods vs methodology
6. Research Process
7. Criteria of Good Research

Meaning of Research
 Research in common parlance refers to a search for knowledge.
 Once can also define research as a scientific and systematic search for
pertinent information on a specific topic. In fact, research is an art of
scientific investigation.
 According to Clifford Woody research comprises defining and
redefining problems, formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions;
collecting, organizing and evaluating data; making deductions and
reaching conclusions; and at last carefully testing the conclusions to
determine whether they fit the formulating hypothesis.

Objectives of Research
The main aim of research is to find out the truth which is hidden and which
has not been discovered as yet. Though each research study has its own
specific purpose, we may think of research objectives as follows.
1. To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into it
(studies with this object in view are termed as exploratory or formulative
research studies).
2. To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual,
situation or a group (studies with this object in view are known as
descriptive research studies).
3. To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which
it is associated with something else (studies with this object in view are
known as diagnostic research studies).
4. To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables (such
studies are known as hypothesis-testing research studies).

Motivation in Research
What makes people to undertake research? This is a question of
fundamental importance. The possible motives for doing research may be
either one or more of the following:
 Desire to get a research degree along with its consequential benefits.
 Desire to face the challenge in solving the unsolved problems, i.e.,
concern over practical problems initiates research.
 Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some creative work.
 Desire to be of service to society.
 Desire to get respectability.
However, this is not an exhaustive list of factors motivating people to
undertake research studies. Many more factors such as directives of
government, employment conditions, curiosity about new things, desire to
understand causal relationships, social thinking and awakening, and the like
may as well motivate (or at times compel) people to perform research
operations.

Types of Research
The basic types of research are as follows:
Descriptive vs. Analytical:
Descriptive research includes surveys (all kinds, including comparative and
correlational methods) and fact-finding enquiries of different kinds. The
major purpose of descriptive research is description of the state of affairs as
it exists at present. In social science and business research we quite often
use the term Ex post facto research for descriptive research studies. The
main characteristic of this method is that the researcher has no control over
the variables; he can only report what has happened or what is happening,
attempts by researchers to discover causes even when they cannot control
the variables.
For example:
frequency of shopping, preferences of people, or similar data. Ex post facto
studies also include
In analytical research, on the other hand, the researcher has to use facts or
information already available, and analyze these to make a critical
evaluation of the material.

Types of Research
Applied vs. Fundamental:
Research can either be applied (or action) research or fundamental (to basic
or pure) research.
Applied research aims at finding a solution for an immediate problem
facing a society or an industrial/business organisation, whereas fundamental
research is mainly concerned with generalisations and with the formulation
of a theory.
“Gathering knowledge for knowledge‟s sake is termed „pure‟ or „basic‟
research.”
Research concerning some natural phenomenon or relating to pure
mathematics are examples of fundamental research.
Similarly, research studies, concerning human behaviour carried on with a
view to make generalisations about human behaviour, are also examples of
fundamental research, but research aimed at certain conclusions (say, a
solution) facing a concrete social or business problem is an example of
applied research.
Cont…

Cont…
Quantitative vs. Qualitative:
Quantitative research is based on the measurement of quantity or amount. It
is applicable to phenomena that can be expressed in terms of quantity.
Qualitative research, on the other hand, is concerned with qualitative
phenomenon, i.e., phenomena relating to or involving quality or kind.
Interested in investigating the reasons for human behaviour
discovering the underlying motives, and desires, using in depth
interviews for the purpose. (word association tests, sentence completion
tests, story completion tests and similar other projective techniques).
Attitude or opinion research i.e., research designed to find out how
people feel or think about a particular subject or institution is also
qualitative research.
Qualitative research is specially important in the behavioural sciences
where the aim is to discover the underlying motives of human behaviour.
one should seek guidance from experimental psychologists.

Cont…
Conceptual vs. Empirical:
Conceptual research is that related to some abstract idea(s) or theory. It is
generally used by philosophers and thinkers to develop new concepts or to
reinterpret existing ones.
On the other hand, empirical research relies on experience or observation
alone, often without due regard for system and theory. It is data-based
research, coming up with conclusions which are capable of being verified
by observation or experiment.
Some Other Types of Research:
It is based on either the purpose of research, time required, on the
environment in which research is done, or on the basis of some other
similar factor.
In the former case the research is confined to a single time-period, several
time-periods. Research can be field-setting or laboratory or simulation
research, depending upon the environment in which it is to be carried out.
Research can as well be understood as clinical or diagnostic research. Such
research follow case-study methods or in depth approaches to reach the
basic causal relations.

Cont…
The research may be exploratory or it may be formalized. The objective of
exploratory research is the development of hypotheses rather than their
testing, whereas formalized research studies are those with substantial
structure and with specific hypotheses to be tested.
Historical research is that which utilizes historical sources like documents,
remains, etc. to study events or ideas of the past, including the philosophy
of persons and groups at any remote point of time.
Research can also be classified as conclusion-oriented and decision-
oriented. While doing conclusion oriented research, a researcher is free to
pick up a problem, redesign the enquiry as he proceeds and is prepared to
conceptualize as he wishes. Decision-oriented research is always for the
need of a decision maker and the researcher in this case is not free to
embark upon research according to his own inclination. Operations research
is an example of decision oriented research, scientific method with a
quantitative basis.

Research methods vs. Methodology
Research techniques refer to the behavior and instruments we use in performing research operations
such as making observations, recording data, techniques of processing data and the like. Research
methods refer to the behavior and instruments used in selecting and constructing research technique.
For instance, the difference between methods and techniques of data collection can better be
understood from the details given in Table1.
From what has been stated above, we can say that methods are more general. It is the methods that
generate techniques. However, in practice, the two terms are taken as interchangeable and when we talk
of research methods we do, by implication, include research techniques within their compass.

Use in performing research operations.
Keeping this in view, research methods can be put into the following three groups:
1. In the first group we include those methods which are concerned with the collection of
data. These methods will be used where the data already available are not sufficient to
arrive at the required solution;
2. The second group consists of those statistical techniques which are used for establishing
relationships between the data and the unknowns;
3. The third group consists of those methods which are used to evaluate the accuracy of the
results obtained. (2 & 3 groups are generally taken as the analytical tools of research.)
Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. In it we study
the various steps that are generally adopted by a researcher in studying his research problem
along with the logic behind them. It is necessary for the researcher to know not only the
research methods/techniques but also the methodology. Researchers not only need to know
how to develop certain indices or tests, how to calculate the mean, the mode, the median or
the standard deviation or chi-square, how to apply particular research techniques, but they
also need to know which of these methods or techniques, are relevant and which are not, and
what would they mean and indicate and why. It is necessary for the researcher to design his
methodology for his problem as the same may differ from problem to problem.
For example, an architect, who designs a building, has to consciously evaluate the basis of
his decisions, i.e., he has to evaluate why and on what basis he selects particular size, number
and location of doors, windows and ventilators, uses particular materials and not others and
the like. we can say that research methodology has many dimensions and research methods
do constitute a part of the research methodology.

Cont…
Research Process
Before embarking on the details of research methodology and techniques, it seems
appropriate to present a brief overview of the research process. Research process consists of
series of actions or steps necessary to effectively carry out research and the desired
sequencing of these steps. The chart shown in Figure 1 well illustrates a research process.

Cont…
The following order concerning various steps provides a useful procedural guideline
regarding the research process.
(1) Formulating the research problem- There are two types of research problems, viz., those
which relate to states of nature and those which relate to relationships between variables.
(2) Extensive literature survey-Once the problem is formulated, a brief summary of it should
be written down and extensive literature survey connected with the problem.
(3) Developing the hypothesis-Working hypothesis is tentative assumption made in order to
draw out and test its logical or empirical consequences. How does one go about
developing working hypotheses? The answer is by using the following approach:
(a) Discussions with colleagues and experts about the problem, its origin and the
objectives in seeking a solution.
(b) Examination of data and records, if available, concerning the problem for possible
trends, peculiarities and other clues.
(c) Review of similar studies in the area or of the studies on similar problems.
(d) Exploratory personal investigation which involves original field interviews on a
limited scale with interested parties and individuals with a view to secure greater insight
into the practical aspects of the problem.
(4) Preparing the research design-The preparation of the research design, appropriate for a
particular research problem, involves usually the consideration of the following:
(i) the means of obtaining the information; (ii) the availability and skills of the researcher and
his staff (if any); (iii) explanation of the way in which selected means of obtaining
information will be organised and the reasoning leading to the selection; (iv) the time
available for research; and (v) the cost factor relating to research, i.e., the finance available
for the purpose.

(5) Determining sample design- It is a definite plan determined before any data are actually collected
for obtaining a sample from a given population. A brief mention of the important sample designs is
as follows:
(i) Deliberate sampling
(ii) Simple random sampling
(iii) Systematic sampling
(iv) Stratified sampling
(v) Quota sampling
(vi) Cluster sampling and area sampling
(vii) Multi-stage sampling
(viii) Sequential sampling
The sample design to be used must be decided by the researcher taking into consideration the nature of
the inquiry and other related factors.
(6) Collecting the data-
In dealing with any real life problem it is often found that data at hand are inadequate, and hence, it
becomes necessary to collect data that are appropriate. There are several ways of collecting the
appropriate data which differ considerably in context of money costs, time and other resources at the
disposal of the researcher. Primary data can be collected either through experiment or through survey. If
the researcher conducts an experiment, he observes some quantitative measurements, or the data, with
the help of which he examines the truth contained in his hypothesis. But in the case of a survey, data
can be collected by any one or more of the following ways:
By observation, Through personal interview, Through telephone interviews, By mailing of
questionnaires, Through schedules.

(7) Execution of the project- It is a very important step in the research process. If the execution of the
project proceeds on correct lines, the data to be collected would be adequate and dependable.
(8) Analysis of data-After the data have been collected, the researcher turns to the task of analysing them.
The analysis of data requires a number of closely related operations such as establishment of
categories, the application of these categories to raw data through coding, tabulation and then drawing
statistical inferences.
(9) Hypothesis testing-After analysing the data, the researcher is in a position to test the hypotheses. Do the
facts support the hypotheses or they happen to be contrary? This is the usual question which should be
answered while testing hypotheses. Various tests, such as Chi square test, t-test, F-test, have been
developed by statisticians for the purpose. The hypotheses may be tested through the use of one or
more of such tests, depending upon the nature and object of research inquiry. Hypothesis-testing will
result in either accepting the hypothesis or in rejecting it. If the researcher had no hypotheses to start
with, generalisations established on the basis of data may be stated as hypotheses to be tested by
subsequent researches in times to come.
(10) Generalisations and interpretation- If a hypothesis is tested and upheld several times, it may be
possible for the researcher to arrive at generalisation, i.e., to build a theory. As a matter of fact, the real
value of research lies in its ability to arrive at certain generalisations. If the researcher had no
hypothesis to start with, he might seek to explain his findings on the basis of some theory. It is known
as interpretation. The process of interpretation may quite often trigger off new questions which in turn
may lead to further researches.
(11) Preparation of the report or presentation of the results ,i.e., formal write-up of conclusions reached.
Finally, the researcher has to prepare the report of what has been done by him. Writing of report must
be done with great care keeping in view the following: The layout of the report should be as follows: (i)
the preliminary pages; (ii) the main text, (Introduction, Summary of findings, Main report and
Conclusion) (iii) the end matter.
At the end of the report, appendices should be enlisted in respect of all technical data. Bibliography, i.e., list of books,

Criteria of Good Research
Whatever may be the types of research works and studies, one thing that is important is that they
all meet on the common ground of scientific method employed by them. One expects scientific
research to satisfy the following criteria:
1. The purpose of the research should be clearly defined and common concepts be used.
2. The research procedure used should be described in sufficient detail to permit another
researcher to repeat the research for further advancement.
3. The procedural design of the research should be carefully planned to yield results that are as
objective as possible.
4. The researcher should report with complete frankness, flaws in procedural design and
estimate their effects upon the findings.
5. The analysis of data should be sufficiently adequate to reveal its significance and the methods
of analysis used should be appropriate. The validity and reliability of the data should be
checked carefully.
6. Conclusions should be confined to those justified by the data of the research and limited to
those for which the data provide an adequate basis.
7. Greater confidence in research is warranted if the researcher is experienced, has a good
reputation in research and is a person of integrity.
In other words, we can state the qualities of a good research.
Good research is systematic, Good research is logical, Good research is empirical, Good
research is replicable:

1. (Unit-1) Research Formulation & Design.pdf

More Related Content

Similar to 1. (Unit-1) Research Formulation & Design.pdf (20)

Recently uploaded (20)

1. (Unit-1) Research Formulation & Design.pdf